


Reunion

by Manuka



Category: Fire Emblem Heroes, Fire Emblem Series
Genre: Hríd/Helbindi slightly suggested
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-15
Updated: 2019-03-15
Packaged: 2019-11-18 09:42:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,430
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18118244
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Manuka/pseuds/Manuka
Summary: The Guardians of Askr want to introduce someone to Hríd but it doesn't go as planned





	Reunion

**Author's Note:**

> My second work here, I hope you will enjoy it! This is still a slight AU in which Helbindi is not dead.  
> It was proofread by a friend, so I hope everything is fine.

Ylgr was hopping up and down while they were leading to the castle’s entrance. Hríd couldn’t help but smile lightly at his youngest sister’s impatience.

“Slow down, Ylgr, we’re not late.”

“But what if they’re already there?” she complained, looking at him with puppy eyes.

He shook his head.

“We would have been warned, if that had been the case. Don’t worry, we won’t miss them.”

If he wanted to be honest, he was impatient too. A few days ago, Alfonse had sent him a missive informing him that the Guardians of Askr wanted to visit Nifl to introduce someone to them. Since then, Ylgr had been overexcited, trying to figure out who would come to Nifl with Alfonse, Sharena, Anna and Fjorm. Hríd was curious too, but he had to deal with paperwork and had had little time to think about it. It was certainly a new hero, but who? And why come to Nifl of all places? But apart from the surprising aspect of the visit, he was happy to see their friends and his sister. Between their obligations and his own, journeys were rare and they couldn’t spend as much time together as they wished.

They arrived at the gates, where a small assembly of counsellors and a few soldiers was already gathered to welcome the Askran siblings, Fjorm and the new hero. Ylgr took his hand, nervous despite her eagerness, and he tightened his grip around her fingers to reassure her. Apparently, it worked, as she calmed down.

A murmur rose, and soon they saw a small group walking on the shining route leading to the castle. Hríd narrowed his eyes in expectation. He could easily recognize the siblings, Fjorm, and next to her…

He froze. He could have recognized her silhouette anywhere. He heard Ylgr gasp and she released his hand to run into Gunnthrá’s arms. Fjorm was prompt to join them and they fell on their knees, laughing and sobbing at the same time. He could hear them, but it was like time had stopped for him. He could do nothing but watch them, his eyes wide in shock and his heart pounding heavily in his chest.

He saw Gunnthrá lift her head up and smile at him. He took a deep breath and turned back to walk away. He didn’t pay attention to Fjorm and Ylgr calling him and he left, his heart aching and his hands shivering.

Alfonse turned to face the first princess of Nifl, worry in his eyes.

“I’m sorry, I thought…” he started, taken aback by Hríd’s reaction.

Gunnthrá smiled, trying to hide how hurt she was.

“I understand. We should have warned him I was the hero Kiran summoned. He was simply caught by surprise.”

Sharena and Alfonse exchanged a pained look, feeling remorse. Gunnthrá stood up.

“Do not worry, I know where he might have gone. I will speak to him.”

She kissed her sisters’ foreheads and left, addressing a polite gesture to the counsellors. The official greetings would have to wait until she and Hríd have talked.

Fjorm took the lead, grabbing Ylgr by the hand and inviting the Guardians to follow her inside the castle.

“I’m sorry for this unexpected welcome” she said. “Hríd will certainly apologize later.”

“We are the ones who should apologize” retorted Alfonse.

“We wanted Gunnthrá’s arrival to be a surprise” murmured Sharena, guilt in her voice. “We thought it would be a good idea…”

Fjorm shook her head.

“I agreed with it, I am to blame as much as you. I should have predicted his reaction. But I know my brother, he is not angry. He simply struggles with emotions and sometimes he is not as good at hiding it as he thinks he is.”

She exchanged a faint smile with Ylgr, who nodded in agreement.

“He is improving” said the youngest proudly. “I’m working on it, with a little help though.”

She said no more, despite the curious look Fjorm gave her.

 

A delicate smell was coming from the inner garden. The flowerbeds were all blossoming in soft colours and shapes. On the bench, Hríd was eyes closed and had buried his head in his hands, shoulders tense. Gunnthrá smiled lightly: even in this world, her brother had his habits. She approached him wordlessly until he looked up at her.

“May I?”

He invited her to seat with a small nod. She took place next to him, uncertain on how to begin, but to her surprise, Hríd spoke first.

“How did you find me?”

She smiled, amused.

“You always come here when you need to calm yourself or when you need to think about something.”

It was his turn to smile, even if it didn’t reach his eyes completely. Before she could say anything else, he glanced at her.

“I’m sorry. My behaviour earlier was inappropriate.”

“You were caught off guard” she answered softly. “I understand that.”

There was a short silence, and then he spoke again:

“I never thought I would see _you_ again.”

Hríd’s voice was unsteady.

“You are not really my sister, are you?” he asked, his voice so low she almost didn’t hear him.

Gunnthrá closed her eyes briefly.

“No, I’m not. I’m sorry.”

A small laugh escaped his mouth, but there was only sadness in his eyes.

“You have no reason to be. You cannot replace a dead person.”

“Anyway, I am glad to be here” she said. “I am glad to be able to see you.”

She took his hand gently. He met her eyes, full of tears she was striving to hold back.

“You might have lost your sister, Hríd, but I too lost someone. I lost my brother” she murmured. “I lost _you_ , and you can’t imagine how happy I am to know there is a world in which you’re still alive.”

His heart stopped beating for a second, and he suddenly felt selfish for denying her the embrace she was looking for earlier.

“Gunnthrá…” he began, not knowing what to tell her. “I’m… sorry for your loss.”

The words felt so empty he regretted saying them.

“If I may ask, what happened?” he added, uncertain.

She turned her gaze onto the flowers around them, still holding his hand in hers.

“He bought us the time we needed to accomplish the frost ritual to defeat Surtr” she said after some time. “But there was nothing we could do to save him.”

Hríd held her hand tightly. Almost every day for months after they had come back to Nifl, he wondered what would have happened if he could have been there to protect Gunnthrá, and his thoughts often led him to think things would have been better if he had died and his sister had survived. His guilt had slowly faded with time and support from Ylgr –and also from Helbindi, as strange as it seemed. He too had lost a sister because of Surtr and they found in each other someone who could understand them. But hearing Gunnthrá’s story shocked him, and all his previous thoughts came back at once.

“… I couldn’t save you either” he said eventually, voice low. “I wasn’t even there when it happened.”

“I know” she answered slowly. “Fjorm explained. She said you tried to kill Surtr on your own.”

“It was stupid” he admitted with a slight pout.

She laughed, putting her free hand in front of her mouth. He smiled. He really missed her.

“It really is something you would do” she said. “Trying to defeat an enemy even though you were alone and had no chance of winning. Don’t ever change, Hríd.” 

They remained silent for a while, hand in hand.

“I know I cannot replace your sister, and I’m not willing to” she resumed with emotion. “But I hope you will consider staying in touch with me. I would really like that.”

He kissed her hand, the same way he used to show his affection towards his sister.

“I would like that too” he admitted with a smile.

Perhaps they could both mourn for the one they had lost and heal from their grief.

“We should go back to see our friends” said Gunnthrá as she stood up. “They were worried about you.”

Hríd blushed, embarrassed.

“What a terrible host I make” he sighed.

“They don’t know you the way your family does but they won’t hold it against you” she reassured him. “Let’s show them how we welcome guests in Nifl, shall we?”

He offered her his arm with a nod.

“Yes, we should.”

And somehow, his heart felt lighter than before.


End file.
